Immortal Death
by Jade Surro
Summary: "Hi, my name is Melody Darby. I am 16 years old, and I live with my sister, Mara, and my mom, Miko Darby, in Dannaka, Montana. My dad used to be in the military, but he was killed in action. My mom never talks about him. Some times I wonder if there is more to Mom's past than she lets on, though." I do not own Transformers Prime.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, I'm Jade Surro. This is my first Fanfiction, so go easy on me! This story has been on my mind since I first watched TFP, so I decided to write it. **

**A few things before we get into the story: **

**First of all, this is an AU in that while I use all the characters from Transformers prime and the settings, I have a completely different plot that will not align with the actual episodes. At all. The search for relics has happened, but anything to do with the Omega Keys, the episodes "Regeneration," and "Darkest Hour," or Smokescreen, does not happen. **

**Secondly, if you hate/fear vampires or prefer your vampires served traditionally, then don't read this. They come up in later chapters, hence the creepy title. **

**Thirdly, I plan to update weekly, but the plan may be different from the actuality. **

**Fourthly, Miko will seem rather OOC. That is on purpose. **

**Last but not least, I do not own Transformers Prime. I only own my OCs.**

**And now, is my audience ready? Then LET'S BEGIN!**

"Why," Miko looked at the sky through her windshield. "WHY?!" Tears were pouring down her cheeks. Her clothes were soaked and her eyes were puffy and red from crying, but she didn't care. She couldn't care any more. Nothing mattered anymore.

He was gone. Jack was dead.

It was still impossible to believe.

_-Flashback-_

_Bulkhead chuckled. "I told you, Miko. Just wait-she's gonna be a Wrecker." His voice softened. "Just like her mother."_

_Miko smiled. "She's certainly 'Wrecking' her car seat." Melody cooed at Miko. "And your Grandma June bought you the cutest outfit ever. Now you're getting slobber all over it and Ratchet will glitch when he touches you!"_

_Miko sighed and leaned back in the passenger seat. It felt good to be back. And the best part was that she had a big surprise for Jack on their first year anniversary. _

_Yes, she had married Jack. She had had a crush on him ever since the two had been caught on a train moving 90 miles per hour with a nuclear motor in their car and a blown track. They had started dating soon afterward. When she was 17 and he was 18, they got married. Ten months later, they had their first child, whom they named Melody. And now, two months later, Bulkhead was driving Miko to base to check on Jack. _

_:Bulkhead, where are you?:_

_"Ratchet," groaned Miko. "What does the Hatchet want now?"_

_:About to enter the base with Miko and Melody.: _

_:I need you for patrol.: _

_:Do I have-: _

_:Yes, you do. Jack and Arcee are on recon, Optimus is on the track of a stray Energon signal, and Bumblebee is in the medbay._

_:Is he badly hurt?:_

_:No, a deep cut on his servo, nothing more. But I need a bot for patrol.:_

_At that moment, the trio drove into base. Miko jumped out of the car, grabbed Melody's car seat_ _out of the back, and ran up to Ratchet. _

_"Whatcha doin' doc bot? What's your latest-" Miko never finished the sentence. _

_:Arcee to base, Arcee to base. Requesting emergency back up.:_

_"What is wrong, Arcee?" asked Ratchet._

_:Cons found us. We need help NOW!:_

_"I'm sending in Bulkhead. If you need more I'll send in Bumblebee."_

_:I'm going to need more than-UHH!: _

_"Arcee? Arcee? I'm opening up a GroundBridge right now!"_

_Ratchet typed in Arcee's coordinates and opened up the GroundBridge. But before anyone could even move, there was a loud crash and Arcee came hurtling through, smashing into one of the computers. A Vehicon raced in behind her. Bulkhead transformed his servos into cannons and fired at the Vehicon, who was almost instantly destroyed. Ratchet slammed the GroundBridge handle down and raced to Arcee. "What happened?"_

_"Where's Jack?" Miko's eyes were filled with fear as she looked at Arcee. Arcee looked at the ground, then looked at Ratchet. _

_"We landed in an Energon mine. It was highly advanced and there was a lot of Energon for the taking. We started to take some, but just as we were about to leave, the 'Cons founds us. They distracted me and..." She looked at the floor, then at Miko, her eyes sending a message of "I'm so, so sorry."_

_Miko's eyes widened. "Oh no," she whispered. "Please no."_

_"They_ _captured Jack."_

_"Oh Primus, no." Bulkhead caught Miko as she fell. He held her to his spark as she lay limp in his arms. She hadn't fainted; she had simply collapsed. She looked up at him. "You'll find him, won't you?"_

_Before Bulkhead could respond, Ratchet shuddered. "I just received a message. If I open it, it will broadcast a live video on both sides." He turned to the other bots. "It's from the Nemesis." _

_"Megatron," growled Arcee. _

_"Probably to hold Jack for ransom." Bulkhead slammed his fists together. "Better watch what he says."_

_Ratchet pressed the button. Instantly a video feed appeared on the screen._

_Megatron's face filled the screen and Miko clenched her fists. She hated Megatron, from his bucket head to his giant pedes. "Where's Jack?" she hissed at the screen._

_Megatron_ _smiled. "Ah, the boy's feisty little sparkmate. He's right here."_

_Megatron backed away from the screen. Jack hung by a pair of chains from the ceiling. Blood was dripping all over him. He looked as if someone had began tearing him to shreds. He was...barely recognizable. Thankfully, he was unconscious. _

_Miko gasped. Arcee clenched her fists. "What have you done to him?" she growled. _

_"Oh, nothing much. Yet," said Megatron with an evil smile. "Just give me what I want, and or he will go through worse. Much worse." He gestured to a familiar black and purple femme with long spikes coming from her back. She grinned at them. _

_Arcee looked furious, but she slowly said the words through her teeth. "What do you want?" _

_"Why, only the location of your base. Or…"_

_Arachnid smiled. "I'll just impale him right in front of your eyes," she said._

_"Why, you-" Arcee nearly punched the computer screen, but Ratchet intervened._

_" I'll give you the coordinates,"_

_Everyone stared at him. He gave them a look that simply said Trust me. He tapped in a few keys and Megatron smiled. "Ah, the coordinates. Now, in honor of your sacrifice, I'll allow you a small video presentation. I know one of you likes horror." _

_" Wait – what"? But before Miko could say anymore Arachnid drew back one of her arms – and stabbed Jack right through the stomach. _

_"Jack! NO!" screamed Arcee and Miko. Arachnid crept closer to the screen, holding Jack's blood-spattered body by one arm. "That's what happens when you're on the wrong side."_

_" No!" Miko threw herself at the screen and pounded her fists against it. "No! No! No! No!" _

_There was a loud bang. Everyone turned around to discover Arcee on the floor. Arachnid laughed. "Now my revenge is sweet." And with that the screen zapped off._

_"No!" screamed Miko. She slammed her fist against the screen, cracking it. _

_"Miko! I needed that!" yelled Ratchet._

_" What do you mean 'I needed that' ?" Miko turned, furious, at Ratchet. She pointed at the screen. "I NEEDED THAT!" Her rage disappeared as she crumpled to the floor in tears. "I need him…" she whispered. _

_Ratchet looked embarrassed. "Take Arcee to the medbay," he said softly. No one moved. They were all staring at the screen. They couldn't believe it. He was gone._

_" I need to go." _

_Everyone looked at Miko. She was standing up, her legs still shaky, but with a determined look on her face. "Bulkhead, will you drive me back home?" Bulkhead nodded and before Ratchet could say anything, he had transformed. Miko picked up Melody and carried her into the backseat. She carefully locked her in, then jumped into the driver seat. They both drove out of base. _

_-Flashback ends-_

It hurt. It hurt to leave them. But when Miko had walked through the door into their dream house, into the living room where they had talked for hours on everything, in the kitchen where she had tried making pancakes for the thousandth time, in the bedroom where she had slept with the love of her life...

She knew that she couldn't stay.

She had packed her bags, thrown a few things into her car (no, it couldn't transform), grabbed Melody, and backed out of her car when her cellphone rang. She knew who was calling.

And she didn't answer.

She was leaving Jasper.

And she wasn't coming back.

**All right, so whaddya think? Feedback of any kind is dearly appreciated! Oh, and can you edit songs so they work with the story?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mrs. Ferb Flecher-inator: Thank you so much for your review. You made my day! In answer to your question, Raf does play a small role, but mostly I focus on the Darby family. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers Prime**.

_I raced away from the zombie-robot, my heart pounding in my ears with every step of his gigantic feet. If I didn't get help soon I'd be monster chow. But I was trapped in another dimension; how was I going to-_

"MELODY SOFIA DARBY!"

My head shot up from my desk and I looked around. Everyone was staring at me. "Who-What?"

"Question number 2 in your geometry, please?"

I looked down at my unopened geometry book and felt an embarrassed flush creep up my cheeks. "Which page number?"

Titters of laughter sparked around the room and I glared at the culprits. For some reason, I have many enemies, but few friends. That may have something to do with my parents. Or rather, my parent.

"Page 22-oh never mind. Jennifer Virs?" Jennifer sighed and began solving the problem. I tuned out, as usual. Math and I had an unending battle that I only just managed to stay in top of. I was lucky if I got a C- in math, and honestly I didn't care if I got an F. But I was on top of all my other classes, particularly if they were writing classes. I closed my eyes and immersed myself into the story that Mom had been telling me since I was a little girl.

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"Your homework is to do problems 1-65, and I will see you tomorrow. You are dismissed." They were spoken in a dry, bored tone, but it meant one thing. It was the end of my last class. Quickly I grabbed my backpack and maneuvered through the maze of desks as quickly as I could. The moment I got through the door I began sprinting through the hall, my mind bent on one thing.

Get out of here.

I raced through the doors of Dannaka High School and took a deep breath, letting a puff of air out of my mouth like fog. The air was crisp. No completely unexpected, since I live in a tiny town in the middle of Montana. I made a beeline for the bicycle rack. I gently pulled out my bike and began pedaling toward my favorite place in the whole entire world.

The streets were mostly empty, with an occasional car zooming past. Most cars think they can get away with going 80 mph on a 20 mph road.

And the worst part is, they're right.

Dannaka isn't all-out shady, but it's not upperclass either. It the kind of place that you are safe during the daytime, but you need to be in the house with the doors locked by 6:00. And to put icing on the perfect cake (sarcasm) there are little to no police, since our town is so small. I swear there are serial killers in the area, but of course there is nothing I can do to prove it.

I pedaled around the corner, my legs pumping like the pistons they were. Then I quickly braked, a smile curling up on my face.

It wasn't a house that stood out from the others. It blended in with the rest of the long single-story houses that lined the road. But I could catch the light green paint from a hundred miles away. I could already hear the sound of people chattering on our front porch.

I jumped back on my bike and pedaled towards the familiar house. "Mom! Mara! I'm home!" I shouted. They both looked up.

My mother was around 5' 4", with uncolored black hair that she kept tied in a long braid. Her light brown eyes were soft and gentle as she looked at me, but there were small lines around her eyes that brought a tinge of sorrow to every look she gave you. She was almost 33, but care lines made her face looked older. She waved a white hand at me and gave me a warm, sweet smile.

Mara tossed her book into the air and raced down the stairs. Her loose black, tangled, wavy hair snapped behind her like a banner. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness. When she got to me, she gave me a huge bear hug and yelled, "What took you so long? Everything is just not the same without you!"

I pushed her away. "You're 15, Mara, and yet you still greet me every day as if you haven't seen me in millennia."

"You're 16, and you still yell "Mom! Mara! I'm home!" like you haven't seen us in weeks," she countered.

I rolled my eyes. "No respect? Not even on my birthday? And don't even think about pulling the 'I didn't know your birthday was today' trick. You just admitted I'm 16."

"Melody! Mara! Stop bickering! You two come inside." Mom's voice was quiet, but firm. It always had been that way. She never yelled, she always asked people to turn down loud music, and she believed in peace and quiet over justice. But Miko Darby's voice always carried a certain authority that usually stopped bickering before it happened. "It is cold, and besides, we didn't forget your birthday, Melody." She got up from her chair and pulled open the heavy front door. Mara and I looked at each other, then ran up the stairs and into our house. When I ran into the kitchen, I slid to a halt.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELODY!" yelled Mara. Mom only smiled.

The kitchen had a huge blue and white banner that said, "HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY". Streamers snaked their way across the table and blue tissue covered the floor. In the center was a beautiful vanilla cake with white coconut flakes all over it. My favorite. 16 candles were poked into the soft cake, flames flickering on the wicks.

"You remembered!" I gasped.

Mom chuckled. "Yes, we remembered you don't like big parties."

"So we decided to surprise you," added Mara. "Now make a wish and blow the candles out."

I closed my eyes. What should I wish? I smiled as I knew. I took a deep breath and blew out the candles in one breath. I heard the sound of clapping, but before I could really comprehend it, Mara grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the living room. "Mom, come on! Let's give Melody her presents."

"Presents?"

"You didn't think that we would let your 16th birthday go by without _something_, did ya?"

Mara plopped me on the couch and ran out. A moment later she and Mom came back in. Each were holding a small box. Mara's box was thin and rectangular. Mom's box was very small, thin, and square. Both were wrapped in blue tissue paper.

Mara held out her box first. "This is for all the good times we have had, and shall ever have."

I tore away the tissue. Inside was a framed photograph of me and Mara at last year's summer camp. We were standing in front of our cabin, the only cabin with a half-circle of trees behind it. We had our arms wrapped around our shoulders and had big cheesy smiles on our faces.

I grinned at Mara. "It's beautiful. I love this picture. And the memory." I hugged her.

Mom came towards me. As she held out the box, I noticed that her hands were shaking. "This is a symbol of growth and responsibility. You are strong, Melody. You are responsible. I think..." Her voice faltered. "I think you're ready for this."

I looked at her for a moment. "Are you sure?"

Her eyes met mine. "Positive."

I drew away the paper, revealing a cardboard box. I opened one end and something fell into my hand.

Something that made me gasp.

It was a simple pendant. The cord was painted silver and felt like leather. But it was not the cord that made me gasp.

It was what dangled from it.

It was very thin and light, and was shaped kind of like the Super Star Destroyer in Star Wars, except that it had more of a stair-step pattern on the edges. Coursing through it were blue glowing lines. The rest was cold gray metal.

I looked at Mom. "What is it?"

A sad look crossed her face. "It is...something your father gave me soon after we got married. It was often called the Key to Vector Sigma." I opened my mouth, but she shook her head. "Don't ask me what Vector Sigma is. Your dad was given this by his general, a few days before the general went MIA. They eventually found him, and when he returned, he allowed Dad to keep it. When we were married, he placed it behind our bed. I have kept it there ever since. I waited for one of you to grow, to become responsible. And now..." She hesitated for a moment. "I give it to you."

"Wow," I whispered. "Thank you, Mom."

"Happy 16th birthday, sweetheart."

I hugged her, then grabbed the picture and ran down the hall. 1,2,3,4...Gotcha. I threw open my door and raced inside. Quickly shutting it behind me, I raced to my bed and sat down on its comforting lavender bedspread. Carefully I set the photograph on my nightstand. Then I held up the pendant, letting the-what did Mom call it, the Key to Vector Sigma?-dangle from the cord. I simply looked at it.

T_his is all I have left of Dad. _

_Well, not completely._ I looked up at my-there was no other word to describe it-mural of my pictures of Dad. Most of them were of pictures of Dad, Mom, and his motorcycle. Dad had been car crazy when he was in his late teens, according to Mom. Lots of the pictures were of them simply living life together. I had only one picture of them kissing, and that was on their wedding day. There was one picture I cherished over all the others. It showed Dad on his knees with something sparkling in his hand and Mom staring at him with a mixture of joy, shock, and disbelief on her face. In the righthand corner was a short note:

_I love you, Miko, and I will protect and cherish you for the rest of my life. Jack. _

I knew it was when Dad had asked her to marry him. Now I held up the pendant and gently placed it around my neck. It seemed almost to glow. I slipped off the bed and walked towards my full-length mirror.

I am short, but slim. I have long black hair that I usually keep tied back in a braid. I have Mom's light brown eyes, pale skin, round face and figure. Mom says that I have Dad's smile, though. My favorite things to wear are short dresses or long tops with leggings, and today I am wearing my favorite outfit of all: a simple black empire-waisted top that flared out around the hips, black leggings, and black slouch boots. My new pendant would work perfectly with it.

"Melody! It's time to eat!"

"Coming, Mom!" I hurried from the mirror, the key's cold metal against my chest.

**Ok, chapter 2 is up. Next chapter is when the action really starts to happen. Review, favorite, follow, but please review! Oh, and make sure to check out my poll. If people said yes to this poll more often, maybe T rated would be a little easier to read. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm alive! And so is Jesus! Happy late Easter! I hope you all like this chapter. Thank you all for taking the time to read, favorite, follow, and especially review. I love reviews. **

**I have a question, is it okay to edit songs so that they work with the story better? It's really important because I have a chapter that is based of a song, but the song isn't exactly the way I want it. Please respond to this question. **

**Is my audience ready? Then LET'S BEGIN!**

"AAAHHHH!" I screamed!

"Whats's wrong, Melody? Scared of your first car?" Mara jogged up to me and punched my shoulder. "Relax. Don't get a heart attack before we even get there."

"I'm not scared, just really, really EXCITED!"

"I'll go down this street and meet you at the corner of 1st and Rover. I don't want to see you this exited. It's getting me nervous."

Nervous my foot. She was shaking with laughter. Yeah, well, try not being this excited when you're getting your first car, princess.

Mara hurried across the street, but I raced around the corner, tore down a shortcut through an alley, and stopped.

There it was. Shining as if the gates of Heaven had opened up.

The auto dealership.

The main building looked very small compared to the sheer amount of what surrounded it. Hundreds of cars in a rainbow of colors: greens, whites, reds (lots of those), blacks, greys (ugh). Mom had given me a limit of $7,000 to spend on a car, and I intended to spend every penny of it. It made me shiver just thinking about it. My first car.

Mara was right to disappear. I was absolutely PUMPED!

The only thing that dampened my happiness was something that had happened a few minutes ago. Something that had left me very confused.

_-Flashback-_

_I grabbed my tennis shoes and hurried into the living room. "Mom, let's go!"_

_She looked up from a photo book. "Go where?"_

_I put my hands on my hips. "Remember, we're going to get my first car?"_

_An odd look-I couldn't tell what emotion it was-crossed her face. "No, I'm not going."_

_"What? Why?"_

_She sighed. "I'm not very good with cars. Call Uncle Jacob. He can help better then I can."_

_"But Mom, this isn't about helping me! This is about us being together while I make a huge decision! This is the car I'm going to have a lot of memories with. This is the car that-" I leaned forward, "-I'm gonna wish is alive."_

_Mom looked at me. And I read something in her eyes that I wasn't expecting. _

_Tears were brimming in them._

_Shakily she stood. Without saying a word she staggered to the door. And closed it behind her. _

_-Flashback ends-_

"Hey, young lady, what can I do for you?"

I jumped and spun around. Standing behind me was a man in a green sweater and black jeans. His mouse-brown hair, swept to one side, brought out his twinkling blue eyes. I knew exactly who it was.

"Uncle Jacob!" I yelped. "Don't scare me like that!"

"What? It's so much fun to watch you squeak."

Uncle Jacob wasn't really our uncle: he was one of Mom's coworkers. But he was very close to us, and acted like the father I never had. He had offered to help me out on picking a car and, since he knew a lot about them, I was very glad to see him. Still, sometimes he could be the teasing type.

"Have you looked at any of the cars?" I asked.

"Yes. How much money did your mom give you?"

"$7,000."

"Most that price are down that row." He pointed to the farthest row to the right. "They're not exactly sports cars, though."

I rolled my eyes. "When is anything in Dannaka a sports car?" I took off running towards the row.

The row was full of cars: lots of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Uncle Jacob pointed them all out to me. But by the time that he had shown me the 7th car, I had realized that they all had one thing in common. They were all old, used, junky, dented, repainted, sad-looking cars. I wanted something different. Something that stood out in a crowd. Something fast. And something pretty.

Then I saw it.

It was beautiful. So beautiful that I tore away from Uncle Jacob without telling him why and raced to the very end of the row to stare at that wonderful sight.

It was a motorcycle. A blue motorcycle with silver highlights. Sleek, solid, smooth. Soft leather for the seat. Flawless frame with not so much as a dent in sight. It looked like it could slice through the wind like a knife. There was only one word to describe this bike.

Wow.

I whistled. "That's a really nice bike." I ran my hands across the leather. It was soft, with practically no frays. There was a piece of paper taped between the handlebars. I looked at it and nearly squealed.

The paper was a price tag. It said: $5,600.

I knew instantly. I hadn't planned on getting a motorcycle, but I was taking this beauty home.

"Melody!"

I turned. Uncle Jacob was running towards me. Puffing behind him was another man in a white shirt and blue jeans with a badge flapping wildly up and down as he tried to keep up. Pssh. Like that was going to happen. Uncle Jacob had gotten first place in a marathon and was the fastest man in town. He must work here, since he's wearing a badge.

"What is it?" Uncle Jacob panted.

I dragged my hands across the leather, my mind made up. "This is it."

He whistled. "A beautiful bike. What's the price?"

"$5,600."

He turned to the other man. His badge, which had stopped flapping, told me that his name was Dan.

"My friend's daughter would like to buy this bike."

They continued talking, but I tuned out. This kind of conversation goes right over my head. I carefully swung one leg over the side and sat on the bike. It was comfortable and sleek. Perfect.

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"WAHOOOOO! AWESOME!" The wind tore through my hair, blowing it in every direction possible. My clothes were snapping with every turn and twist we made.

I loved it.

"OMG! YOU NEED TO TAKE ME ON THIS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE CAUSE THIS IS AWESOME!" Mara was screeching with delight.

Driving Mom's car always seemed like you weren't moving, but the scenery was. You were safe, secure, seat-belted. This...was as if you were the wind itself. As if you were brushing with unknown danger every second.

When we drove onto our street, I began to slow down, checking the area for kids. I didn't want to be responsible for an accident. Very slowly I drove into our driveway. I quickly turned off the engine and hopped off. I grabbed the handlebars. "Mara, would you open the garage door?"

"Sure." Mara jumped off the bike and walked to the large white door. She grabbed the handle and with a jerk of her wrist pulled the door straight up. Gently I pushed the motorcycle into the garage. Just as I was kicking the kickstand into place, I heard a loud BANG!

"MARA!" She turned to me with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Sorry."

"Don't 'sorry' me. You know that Mom doesn't want you to drop the door! And yet you've dropped it AGAIN!"

"Sorry! I forgot."

I sighed. If I wasn't concerned for the safety of my ears and lungs, I would have gone into a shouting match with her. As it was, I simply turned away and walked towards the door.

"Hey."

I turned around. "What?"

"Wanna call her out?"

"You know she doesn't like it."

"She does. She just pretends to not like it."

"How do you know?"

"We're kindred spirits." I rolled my eyes. But before I could say anymore, Mara lifted up her head and yelled in that really loud annoying voice she gets when she wants something.

"MOM! WE'RE HOME!"

I clapped my hands over my ears and yelled "CUT IT OUT!"

"I'm coming!" Mom's voice, a trace of Japanese accent still flittering in it, came from the other side. The door handle turned and and the door slowly opened.

Now, what I expected to happen was for Mom to say, "Whoa. That's beautiful, where did you get this?" or "Goodness, how much did it cost?" or "You're driving a motorcycle?"

That was not what happened.

"Sooo, what did you-" Mom spotted the motorcycle.

The soup spoon she had been holding clattered to the floor. Mom gasped. Her hand clutched the door frame, her face blanched, and her mouth dropped open. "How...?"

I stared at Mom. What was going on?

"Sweet sacred Primus, where did you get her?"

Primus?

"Answer me. Where did you get that bike?"

"At the auto dealersh-Mom! What in the world?!"

Mom had sunk to the floor, her eyes still glued to the bike. I raced to her. "Mom! Mom! What's going on?"

"Does the bike have any marks?

"What?"

"Any insignias?"

I shook my head. "It's completely clean. Why, Mom? What's going-Mom! Mom! Mom!" I stared at her in shock.

Mom had fainted.

**Short, I know, but this is the first step. Next chapter: Melody and Mara have a lot of questions. Why did Mom faint when she saw the motorcycle? Why was she concerned about the symbols? Does this have anything to do with her past? Does this have anything to do with their father? Find out...next chapter. Review please. Although favorites and follows are awesome, reviews give me more joy. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's another chapter! In answer to your questions, everyone, I will keep you in suspense on all your questions. **

**If I reference any real reporters, it is completely accidental. And if I make a seriously awful TV CNN report, I apologize. I don't watch news channels. **

**Is my audience ready? Then LET'S BEGIN!**

"Mara, help me carry her into the house. Now!" I grabbed Mom's wrists. Melody picked her up by her ankles and we dragged her into the house. Gently we placed her on the sofa and I turned to Mara. "Should we call 9-1-1?"

Mara's mouth opened, but before she could respond a low groan came from the sofa. Mom's eyes fluttered open.

"...are...see..."

I touched her hand. "It's okay, Mom. You're okay."

I could practically feel Mara's eyes burning into the back of my head, screaming at me to ask her what was going on, but I ignored her. Whatever it was, it was big enough that Mom had fainted. So I wasn't going to push it.

Yet.

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"What secrets do you hold?" I whispered as I got off my motorcycle. "What is it about you that shocked Mom?" I fluttered my hands across the smooth metal.

To say the least, I had been...distracted. All day I couldn't get the picture of Mom sinking to the floor, her eyes glued to the bike like it would bite her, out of my head. Multiple times in all of my classes I had been scolded for not paying attention, and my coworkers at the fast food restaraunt I work at kept having to yell, "Mel! Snap out of it!"

It was just strange. Why had she fainted?

Was she hiding something from us?

And if she was, why?

I sighed. All these questions were only going to give me a headache. Slowly I walked toward the garage door and opened it. I was alone; Mom worked a late shift on Fridays and Mara was at a friend's house.

I walked into the living room and flopped on the couch. I grabbed the remote control and looked through our recorded channels. When I saw CNN, I clicked it. I always recorded CNN because I like to keep on top of things happening in the world, and this is virtually the only time I get to, since Mara hates it. I could almost hear her voice groaning, "But everything on that show is so pessimistic! Hello, it's CNN-**C**onstant **N**egative **N**ews?"

"BREAKING NEWS!" blared the screen. "Old search for young man renewed with new discovery."

Interesting.

A older-looking woman appeared on the screen. "Hi, I'm Maria Meyers. On March 24, 2013, about 16 years ago, a young man, named Jackson Darby, went missing under confused circumstances."

JACKSON DARBY?

A picture flashed across the screen and left no doubt. It was all there: the black hair, the blue eyes, the friendly smile, the narrow face. Dad.

"He left behind a young wife and a child, who also both disappeared."

Huh? Half a minute. We weren't missing. What's going on? And Dad was killed in action. He didn't go 'missing'.

"Miko Darby and her daughter moved out of Jasper, Nevada, Jack's hometown. They have not been heard from since. His mother gave no comment and the young man was never heard from again. Until now."

The screen moved to another picture. This picture was of a motorcycle and a large, practically armored SUV driving down the road.

"This picture was taken yesterday. The motorcycle has been identified as Jackson's. It, too, went missing at around the same time. The driver in this picture appears to have the same build as Jackson. Not only that, but the green SUV that his wife used to drive has also appeared. Perhaps the two are together again? A search for the mystery cars has begun and may continue for several weeks."

I paused it. I couldn't take it. According to the report my dad had gone missing. It didn't mention anything about military or deployed to Afghanistan. It treated him as if he had been kidnapped.

Then why has Mom always told me that my father was killed in action?

He was killed! Mom said so! And she wouldn't lie to me!

Would she?

I looked at the paused picture of the two cars.

That's when it hit me. Of course. That's why Mom fainted.

The motorcycle in the picture and the one I owned were almost exactly the same.

The bike in the picture was mostly blue with sliver highlights, just like mine. But unlike mine, this motorcycle had pink highlights as well. It also looked thinner and sleeker than mine. If that was possible.

I had bought an almost perfect replica of Dad's motorcycle. No wonder Mom fainted.

Or is it?

"Mom wouldn't faint over something like that," I said out loud. "She would be surprised, maybe shocked, but she wouldn't have fainted. It would take a really serious shock for someone to faint. If Dad or a really close friend that she hasn't seen had arrived, maybe. But seeing a motorcycle that looks similar to Dad's? That's not enough. It just isn't."

It seemed I had gotten a few questions answered, but they had only created more. Mom had fainted because Dad used to ride a motorcycle that was similar to mine. And she was most definitely hiding something. For some reason, she hadn't wanted me to know what had happened to Dad. Why? I had no idea.

One thing was for certain. I was going to find out the mystery of my father.

And, like a good detective, I needed to search for evidence. Where should I start?

Psh. Easy.

I jumped up, ran out of the living room, and sped down the hall. I knew that Mom kept her most precious possessions in the one place that we almost never trespassed. Her room.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I stood in front of her door. Should I really sneak into my mother's bedroom? A part of me was angry at Mom for lying, but another part screamed that she must have had a reason for hiding.

What would happen if I opened that door? Either my current beliefs would be confirmed or confounded. I took a deep breath, grasped the handle, and turned it, opening the door.

Mom's room was very simple. It had a bed with a light pink bedspread and light green throw rug on top on one side, a two-shelf bookshelf on the other side stuffed with books, and a light green circle rug in between. It was small, but calming and peaceful. I stood on the rug and put my my finger on my lips in concentration.

If Mom was keeping a secret, ten to one she would have recorded it somewhere-diaries, notes, pictures (lots of those-my mom was a shameless photographer and always had been). So my first choice of searching would be...the bookshelf.

I stepped in front of the bookshelf and began scanning the spines. It was filled with books: The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Twilight series, the entire Warriors series, the list went on and on.

But no photo albums. Or diaries. Or anything that I was looking for.

Then I saw it. My favorite book _A Wrinkle in Time_ by Madeline L'Engle. I didn't know Mom owned that book. But I wasn't finding anything right now. So I reached up and grabbed the spine. It was stuck between the books, so I pulled a little harder.

There was a faint click, a whirring sound, then the book snapped towards me. To my surprise, it was only the outside binding connected to the bookshelf by a string. Before I could even move, the bookshelf slowly slid to the side, revealing a tiny passageway behind it.

Mom had a secret room inside her room?

I crouched down on all fours and began to crawl inside, not knowing that I would never be the same again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow, 23 reviews, 17 favorites, 26 follows, and over 1400 views on 4 chapters! I feel so blessed!**

**Is my audience ready? Then LET'S BEGIN!**

The room was tiny, about the size of an average walk-in closet, only half the height and a third of the area. I couldn't stand up inside it. But even though it was tiny, there was only one way to describe the room.

Stuffed.

On one side was a one-shelf bookshelf. It had photo albums, scrapbooks, diaries, and a few framed photographs. On the other side was a wall with a mural of posters on it. In the middle were more stacks of books and a few DVD's. On the opposite wall was a small TV.

Jackpot.

Quickly I sat down and grabbed a book. It was a small diary. On the cover was a picture of an Asian teenager with black hair and pink highlights. Some of it was pulled up into two poofy pigtails, while the rest was tied back into a braid. I could tell it was a braid because it was swooshing to the side. She was bent back, strumming an electric guitar for all she was worth. Her mouth was open wide and her eyes were shut tight. She was wearing a punk outfit.

My heart leapt into my throat. The girl...the face was unmistakeable. But Mom hated electric guitars. And anything to do with punk. Always had.

Right?

What was it about her past that she didn't want me to know about?

I sighed and continued studying the picture.

Someone had written words right above her head in a hand I didn't recognize.

I made out...well, simply put, it was gibberish. YEAH YEAH YEAH REKKKKKKKE SHREEKKKKKKE OWO OW!

To say the least, I was confused. What did that mean?

Then I heard a sound that made me freeze. The sound of the garage door opening.

Mom was home.

I scrambled up, tucking the slim book under one arm. My heart racing, I hurried through the hole. I jumped up and began pushing on the bookshelf.

It wouldn't budge.

If Mom saw me in her room, pushing the shelf with all her secrets behind it closed, with one of her diaries under one arm...I didn't want to think about it.

I shoved again. And again. I felt the wood budge a teeny bit. But I also heard it grate against the floor. I heard the door to the hallway open. Light footsteps.

Going.

Down.

The hall.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Not now! I strained against the shelf. It scooted forward, grating against the floor boards. The footsteps hesitated, then began walking towards my room. I shoved more, fear practically replacing my blood. The door handle turned. I slid across the room and hid under the bed. The door opened.

"What was that-What? There's a secret passage behind the bookshelf?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. Mara's voice had never sounded so beautiful.

"Mara!" I scrambled out from under the bed. "Don't ask questions-help me push this back!"

Her face protested, but she walked towards the shelf and placed her hands against it. I joined her and together we pushed it back into place.

As soon as she had stepped back Mara turned to me. "Ok, so are you going-"

"Not here. In my room." I grabbed the diary and hurried out of the room.

My head was spinning as I raced down the hall. I didn't know very much about this secret that Mom kept, but if it had a room behind a bookcase, it must be a huge secret. And this diary might be the key to unlock the mystery.

I threw open my door and raced to my bed. Before I could open the book Mara rushed through the door. She flopped on the bed and stared at me.

"Ok, so what was that all about?"

I shook my head. "You're not going to believe what I found out today."

"What happened?"

"I was watching a CNN report. It was discussing new findings in a case of a missing boy that disappeared 16 years ago. The police believe he was kidnapped. His name was...Jackson Darby."

Mara gave me an odd look. "So?"

"Don't you see? Mom said that Dad was killed in action. The report said that he had gone missing. They never mentioned that he was in the military. They never said that he was in Afghanistan. They implied that they didn't know if he was dead or not!"

Mara paled. "You're not telling me-"

"Exactly. Mom's been lying to us about Dad. For some reason, she wanted us to believe he was dead. Not kidnapped.

"The question is...why?"


	6. Chapter 6

**You may have noticed that I changed the rating. That is due to self-harming (recently added, sorry everybody who doesn't like it), violence, Cybertronian swearing, and vampires (in later chapters). **

**Is my audience ready? Then LET'S BEGIN!**

"Where is she?" One foot in front of the other. Around the rug. Again and again. I could see Mara sitting on the sofa with a worried look on her face.

And well she should be.

When I'm nervous, I put my fingernails in my mouth (no, I don't bite them). When I'm confused, I sit on my bed, furrow my brow, and try to figure the problem out.

When I pace, that means I'm nervous and confused.

That, my friends, is not good.

"Have you called her?" I asked Mara.

"I tried to. Five minutes ago. She didn't answer."

"Why is she so late? It's been 2 hours. 2 HOURS! The store's only 20 minutes away-and that's just walking!" I tried to ignore the question that had nagged me ever since the 1 hour mark.

What if she'd been...kidnapped?

My hands fiddled with Dad's key. I thought i could almost feel something pulsing inside it. It only added to all the things that confused me.

First Mom fainting at the sight of my motorcycle, then the report that said Dad had disappeared, not been killed in action, then the discovery of the secret room behind Mom's bookcase.

But that was not the strangest thing that had happened today.

_-Flashback-_

_"The question is...why?"_

_Mara shook her head. "I don't know. I think-" Suddenly she stopped. Her head swiveled around and she stared behind her. "Unless..."_

_I turned to follow her gaze. Lying on the bed was the diary, the photo of Mom-and yet so unlike the Mom I knew-glowing in the light of the sun through the window. _

_"Of course!" I grabbed the book and placed it it my lap. I wrapped my fingers around the edge of the cover and pulled. _

_It wouldn't budge. _

_"Huh?" I tugged a little harder. It didn't move. _

_"Wha-how in the-" _

_"What are you doing?" Mara had an obviously confused expression. _

_I turned to her. "It won't open."_

_"Did you check for a lock?"_

_I blushed. That would be just like me, to not notice that. I studied it carefully, but there was no lock. Nothing. _

_How is that possible?_

_I shook my head. "Explain this to me."_

_"Let me try." Mara grabbed the diary and tried to pry the pages apart. Her attempts were as futile as mine. She finally groaned and stared at the book. "What is this? SuperGlued together?"_

_This mystery had just gotten complicated. And extremely confusing. _

_-end flashback-_

I turned to Mara, but before I could voice my fears, there came a faint click, then the squeak of the front door opening. Then faltering steps down the hallway. We looked at each other.

"MOM!" I raced to the door while Mara catapulted off the sofa. But before either of us could touch the handle it turned and the door swung open.

Mom stumbled into the room. She grabbed the arm of the sofa and leaned against it. Slowly she turned her head toward us.

We could only stare.

Mom's eyes were bloodshot, her face was puffy, red, and swollen, and her hair was tangled and messy. Her clothes looked as if someone had slashed them with a knife, and you could see blood seeping through in some places. Her hands were dark red, and more red dripped off her fingers onto the floor. She had dirt smudges all over her. But what scared me the most was that she had a small black dagger in one hand.

"What on earth-" I began, but Mom cut me off.

"Primus, don't ask. Just get me the fragging first aid kit."

Primus? Fragging? There was Mom throwing random words around again! What does this mean?

"What do you mean, don't ask?" Mara's voice sounded furious, but she was shaking like a leaf. "You fainted yesterday and didn't tell us why, then the next day you come home looking like you came out of a street fight. What's going on?"

"I said don't ask. Just get the first aid kit."

Mara opened her mouth to reply, but I cut her off. "Ok Mom."

I opened the door and raced into the kitchen. As soon as I could, I grabbed the edge of the island counter and gasped.

What was going on?

The smooth purr of my motorcycle engine was almost enough to relax me.

But not quite.

It had been 2 days since Mom had shown up looking like she had been fighting for her life moments before. Let's just say it had been...stressful. She and Mara get into HUGE arguments. And while I always side with Mara, I have to admit her prodding was getting annoying even for me.

I turned down the street and rounded a corner. Mom had always told me that we were from Dannaka and had always lived here, but now I felt so unsure about my past that I didn't know what to assume was true and what was not. So I was going to see the one person that would know.

He was known as simply Grandfather. He lived in a small house on the outskirts of Dannaka. He was rarely seen, and when he was, he was always on his front porch tinkering with little pieces of metal. I hadn't seen him, but everyone in town seemed to be descended from him. Maybe he would know about my family's past.

It was quiet out on the highway. There were no cars this far out in the middle of nowhere. The only thing outside of town beside tumbleweeds was a tiny brown hut, surrounded by a open porch.

As I got closer, I could see an old man sitting on the porch. He looked up as I drove into his driveway. Quickly I swung off the motorcycle and strode up to the old man. A look of surprise crossed his face as I planted my feet and stood in front of him.

He had thinning white hair, with a sagging face and a protruding stomach. He had (currently startled) soft blue eyes and a slightly hooked nose. Unlike what I expected, he wasn't bent over and he didn't wear glasses. Then again, I hadn't seen many old men.

"Who are you?" The man's voice was soft and creaked like an old door.

I took a deep breath. "My name is Melody Darby. I-I want to ask you some questions."

He looked thoughtful, then smiled. "Melody Darby, huh? I remember you. You have a little sister, too?" When I nodded, he continued. "What do you need me to tell you?"

"I need you to tell me about Mom. Do you know about how she was when she was a child?"

The old man looked at me thoughtfully. Then he pulled a chair closer to him. "Come, young one. It is a long story."

"I need the truth."

He looked me directly in the face as I slid into the chair he offered. "You may not like it, Melody. You may not like it at all."


End file.
